For many patients who are immobile and/or bed bound, caregivers frequently need to turn these patients onto their side in order to complete patient care tasks, such as cleaning the patient's buttocks and changing the linens under the patient. Many patients are unable to move or assist the caregiver with completing these tasks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,925 discloses a device for manipulating bedridden patients which comprises a flexible plain sheet sized to underlie the torso of a patient with releasable fastening means of elongated tie-straps secured on each side of the sheet which fix the sheet to the lower bed rails. To turn the patient, the fastening means are released on one side of the bed and then refastened to the top rails on the other side of the bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,279 discloses a strap for assisting in rotation of a patient in a convalescing bed comprising an elongated rectangle of textured material with a series of VELCRO hooks and loops on each end of the rectangle which attach the strap to the opposite bottom rungs of the bedrails. To turn the patient using this device, the patient is arranged on his backside over the strap. One side of the strap is then released and lifted over the patient toward the opposite bedrail while applying pressure to the backside of the patient thereby rotating the patient onto their other side. This end of the strap can then be fixed to the top portion of the bed rail to support the patient.
Published U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0235042 discloses a strap/belt with an adjustable padded center support for turning a patient which fixes to the bedrails via metal grommets at each end of the strap. The strap is placed under the patient near their waist. A very similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,225.
Currently, caregivers such as nurses or nurse's aides use a “draw sheet” (a bed sheet folded in half) or their hands which must be placed under the patient's torso and pulled by the caregiver in order to turn the patient onto their side. A second person is usually required to assist the caregiver with this method in order to turn and hold the patient on their side while the first caregiver completes the cleaning/changing of linens.
Unfortunately, for caregivers, this method results in many injuries from poor body mechanics and muscle strain from repetitively lifting and pulling for prolonged periods of time.
There is a need for apparatus which allow caregivers to more easily turn patients in need.